How to work with Reckon Accounts Hosted Data in Apache Spark using SQL

Apache Spark is a fast and general engine for large-scale data processing. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for Reckon Accounts Hosted, Spark can work with live Reckon Accounts Hosted data. This article describes how to connect to and query Reckon Accounts Hosted data from a Spark shell.

The CData JDBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live Reckon Accounts Hosted data due to optimized data processing built into the driver. When you issue complex SQL queries to Reckon Accounts Hosted, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to Reckon Accounts Hosted and utilizes the embedded SQL engine to process unsupported operations (often SQL functions and JOIN operations) client-side. With built-in dynamic metadata querying, you can work with and analyze Reckon Accounts Hosted data using native data types.

Install the CData JDBC Driver for Reckon Accounts Hosted

Download the CData JDBC Driver for Reckon Accounts Hosted installer, unzip the package, and run the JAR file to install the driver.

Start a Spark Shell and Connect to Reckon Accounts Hosted Data

1. Open a terminal and start the Spark shell with the CData JDBC Driver for Reckon Accounts Hosted JAR file as the jars parameter: $ spark-shell --jars /CData/CData JDBC Driver for Reckon Accounts Hosted/lib/cdata.jdbc.reckonaccountshosted.jar
2. With the shell running, you can connect to Reckon Accounts Hosted with a JDBC URL and use the SQL Context load() function to read a table.

   The connector makes requests to Reckon Accounts Hosted through OAuth. Specify the following connection properties:

   • SubscriptionKey: Required. You get this value when you created your developer account.
   • CountryVersion: Defaults to 2021.R2.AU.
   • CompanyFile: Required. The path to the company file.
   • User: Required. The username of the company file.
   • Password: Required. The password of the company file.
   • InitiateOAuth: Set this to GETANDREFRESH to let the driver handle access tokens.
   • CallbackURL: The redirectURI of your Custom OAuth App.
   • OAuthClientId: The client id of your Custom OAuth App.
   • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret of your Custom OAuth App.

   CData provides an embedded OAuth application that simplifies OAuth desktop authentication. See the Help documentation for information on other OAuth authentication methods (web, headless, etc.), creating custom OAuth applications, and reasons for doing so.

   Built-in Connection String Designer

   For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the Reckon Accounts Hosted JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

   java -jar cdata.jdbc.reckonaccountshosted.jar

   Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

   Configure the connection to Reckon Accounts Hosted, using the connection string generated above.

   scala> val reckonaccountshosted_df = spark.sqlContext.read.format("jdbc").option("url", "jdbc:reckonaccountshosted:SubscriptionKey=my_subscription_key;CountryVersion=2021.R2.AU;CompanyFile=Q:/CompanyName.QBW;User=my_user;Password=my_password;CallbackURL=http://localhost:33333;OAuthClientId=my_oauth_client_id;OAuthClientSecret=my_oauth_client_secret;").option("dbtable","Accounts").option("driver","cdata.jdbc.reckonaccountshosted.ReckonAccountsHostedDriver").load()
3. Once you connect and the data is loaded you will see the table schema displayed.

4. Register the Reckon Accounts Hosted data as a temporary table:

   scala> reckonaccountshosted_df.registerTable("accounts")

5. Perform custom SQL queries against the Data using commands like the one below:

   scala> reckonaccountshosted_df.sqlContext.sql("SELECT Name, Balance FROM Accounts WHERE IsActive = true").collect.foreach(println)

   You will see the results displayed in the console, similar to the following:

Using the CData JDBC Driver for Reckon Accounts Hosted in Apache Spark, you are able to perform fast and complex analytics on Reckon Accounts Hosted data, combining the power and utility of Spark with your data. Download a free, 30 day trial of any of the 200+ CData JDBC Drivers and get started today.